In college I worked at my campus library, for the business manager. At first I was disappointed that I wasn’t working with books and also because the circulation desk workers could sometimes study at work whereas I always had more invoices to file, but in retrospect, I learned a great deal more about how a library works from where I was. My summer job was in a campus bookstore in my hometown. I worked the customer service desk so again, not directly with books aside from occasionally to return them, and buyback was done at my counter for the summer terms, although I was just nearby, not involved with it precisely. Though that’s where I learned what ISBN stands for.
After college, and some unfortunate stints bartending and working at an amphitheater among other things, I first volunteered shelving at my local library branch, and then went to work at a national chain book superstore. My standards had dropped so low, I took a substantial pay cut just to work with customers who were sober and literate. The first year I was just a regular staffer, shelving and working the cash register. The second year I was Shipping & Receiving Supervisor which I loved. I got to see every single book that came in the store, and I really understood inventory and returns a lot better from that vantage point.

In 2009 I founded my local chapter of the Women's National Book Association and I was elected president. In 2012 I was elected Vice-President/President Elect of WNBA-National, so as of 2014, I am the President. In 2011, I became an independent editor. In 2016, I became Sales Manager at Soho Press in New York. In 2017, I became the Mid-Atlantic Field Sales Rep for Macmillan.
I have done just about everything in this industry it seems sometimes, but the overriding theme has been that I love books, and will do anything to help get more books in more people’s hands.
Here I am in the 10/13/2010 edition of Publishers Weekly Daily:
Disclaimers
All reviews on this blog are either from my personal library of books, borrowed, or from books provided to me by the publisher, but not specifically for review. I have not received any payment for these reviews and I have not been requested to write a review, positive or otherwise. I do work for a publisher and any book published my Macmillan, its subsidiaries, or distributed publishers, is noted as a shelf on my reviews.
This is a personal blog and my opinions are entirely my own. To try to keep professional distance, I have kept most names ambiguous, but I may have gotten my copy of the book at my old work.
Contact
I can be reached at thecarinsiegfried at gmail dot com.
Contact
I can be reached at thecarinsiegfried at gmail dot com.
3 comments:
Just fyi, I gave you an award! http://opinionsofawolf.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/one-lovely-blog-award/
Possibly a silly question - but do you know of any publishing role for lawyers? I am a solicitor and I do crime, but I often wonder if there is anything in the publishing industry I could apply my skills to
Such a pleasure to "meet" you! You lived the professional life I always dreamed of but never had the guts to pursue. I adore books but went the librarian route which was rewarding but am now turning back to reading, writing and the publishing industry. Looking forward to stopping by and seeing what's new!
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